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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. mark — a trace
  3. net — after costs
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a grade
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. net — for catching
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. tear — from crying
  15. net — in sport
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. last — final
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tube — a container
  21. last — finally
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tube — the underground
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com